Power Interruption and Brownout Prevention

Power Interruption

While MOELCI-1 is dedicated to providing efficient, effective and continuous power delivery service, sometimes, unscheduled power interruptions are inevitable. Knowing what causes these interruptions may help prevent the unnecessary inconvenience of losing electricity. Here are just some of the reasons why these may happen.

Vehicular accidents that topple or break electric posts cause wire down and other damage to electric facilities.

Fires & Floods

During such emergencies, MOELCI-1 cuts off power in the affected circuit area until it is safe for residents.

Trees & Kites

Tree branches that touch bare high-tension wires and kites and strings that get entangled with these wires also cause power interruption. Trim trees before they touch the wires. If branches are beyond normal reach, we will be glad to assist you in trimming them.

Illegal Connection

Rampant theft of electricity in an area often overloads electrical facilities. Under Republic Act 7832, electricity or line material pilferage is a serious crime which metes a penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment. The law also makes the offender liable to pay the value of electricity pilfered plus surcharge.

Negligence

Falling debris and equipment that touch electric wires in construction work near existing MOELCI-1 facilities is another reason. Parties responsible for such outages may be penalized.

Typhoon Winds & Lightning

Electric wires, transformers and substations hit by lightning during thunderstorms also cause power interruption. Typhoons can cause serious and widespread damage to these distribution facilities.

Maintenance Work

Maintenance and upgrading work on distribution facilities (poles, wires, transformers) is done regularly. During these times, power interruption is scheduled.

How to Report Power Trouble

A. Leaning/Rotten Pole

Determine if the rotten or leaning pole is a private or a MOELCI-1 POLE.

A MOELCI-1 pole is usually more than 30-feet high and has attachments such as wires, cable, streetlights and transformers

Other private utility and telecommunication poles would be less than 20 feet high and has communication cables as attachments

2. Take not of the pole’s following characteristics:

Pole Type – is the pole made of wood, concrete or steel?

Pole Attachments – what items are attached to the pole?

Pole Number – number written on a small metal plate mounted on the pole.

3. Determine if the pole’s condition has caused any power loss. If so, find out the extent of interruption. (About how many houses are affected)?

4. Report this to the MOELCI-1 Hotline or to the designated branch office. Relay all the noted details. The following data will also be asked from you:

Address – this is the location where the pole is situated

Nearest Landmark

Your Name and Contact Number

5. Note down the complaint number that will be given by the customer assistance representative. This will be useful in following up the incident.

6. MOELCI-1 Operations Crew will be sent to respond to the situation.

The responding crew will resolve the MOELCI-1 pole trouble.

In case the pole is a private utility or telecommunication pole, MOELCI-1 linemen or contractors will isolate the MOELCI-1 facilities. After isolation, the pole will have to be fixed by a private electrician or utility man. Only MOELCI-1 LINEMEN and AUTHORIZED CONTRACTORS are allowed to isolate affected MOELCI-1 facilties.

B. Sparking Wires

1. Determine what type of wire it is.

Service Drop-This is a wire coming from the pole leading to the house.

Primary Wires – wire, usually in batches of three, attached from pole to pole in a very high position.

Secondary Wire – this is where the service drop is connected and tapped to the distribution transformer.

2. Check if there are tree branches, kite strings or other foreign objects entangled or in contact with the wire.

3. Find out if this has caused lower failure.If so, determine the extent.

4. Report this to the MOELCI-1 Hotline or the designated branch office, Relay all the required details.

Address – this is the location of sparking wire

Nearest Landmark

Your Name and Telephone number

Pole number of the nearest pole

5. Note down the complaint number that will be given by the customer assistance representative. This will be useful in following up the incident.

6. MOELCI-1 Operations Crew will be sent to respond to the sitution.

C. Broken Meter

1. Find out exactly what is wrong with the meter. If it is:

Emitting Smoke or Getting Red Hot – turn off the main switch or circuit breaker. If this is not possible, reduce load.

Humming – also observe if there are sparks or smoke coming from the meter. If so, follow the previous instruction.

Stopped – observe if there are sparks coming form the meter. if so, follow the previous instruction.

Running without Load – shut office main switch or circuit breaker, see if meter still will run

2. If the nature of the meter trouble is one of the first three reasons, check if the trouble causes your power to fail.

3. In all cases, report this to the MOELCI-1 Hotline or the designated branch office. Relay all the required details:

Home Address

Nearest Landmark

Your Name and contact number

4. Note down the complaint number that will be given by the customer assistance representative. This will be useful in following up the incident.

5. MOELCI-1 Operations Crew will be sent to respond to the situation. Please give your full cooperation for speedy resolution of the trouble.

D. Fire

1. Immediately report this to the MOELCI-1 Hotline or the designated branch office. Typically, the details required are:

Address – this is the location of the facility on fire

Nearest Landmark

Your name and telephone number

Pole Number of the nearest pole

Extent of power loss, if any.

2. Note down the complaint number that will be given by the customer assistance representative. This will be useful in following up the incident.

3. MOELCI-1 Operations crew will attend to the situation as soon as possible.

BROWN OUT PREVENTION

A. Right of way (ROW) clearing of lines from vegetations.

B. Periodic Pole to Pole inspection for:

Replacement of broken insulators.

Replacement of rotten/damaged poles and cross arms.

Tightening of terminals/splices of transformer bushings, fuse cut-outs and other equipment